Round 12 Preview – NPL Women’s NSW

Some intriguing fixtures headline an exciting round 12 of action in the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW.

Northern Tigers v Western Sydney Wanderers @NTRA, Saturday 6:30pm

The action kicks off on Saturday evening at North Turramurra as the Northern Tigers host the Western Sydney Wanderers.

Last Saturday afternoon the Northern Tigers snapped a two-game losing streak with a well earnt 2-1 win over NWS Spirit.

Haley Johnson seems unstoppable at the moment, 14 goals across all competitions and is looking a proper find for the Tigers.

Four straight losses for the Wanderers has seen them drop to ninth place, six-points off finals football.

A loss here will see the gap extend even further from finals football and the Wanderers hopes begin to evaporate.

APIA Leichhardt v Illawarra Stingrays @Lambert Park, Sunday 5pm

Lambert Park kicks off Sunday’s plethora of games with APIA Leichhardt hosting the Illawarra Stingrays.

Brad Attard’s team have turned a corner in recent weeks, winning two straight games and moving up to 6th on ladder.

The change in fortunes coincided with the arrival of Alyssa Rose and Ash Brodigan, but also Jordan Jasnos and young sensation Zoe Panagopoulos moving into the starting line-up.

For the Stingrays, their form has been great and are only two points behind the league leaders with their three straight wins.

Their best player so far this season, Alexia Karrys-Stahl, also returns from international duty, offering them class in midfield.

This one promises to be a blockbuster as many of the encounters in the past have been.

Newcastle Jets v Sydney University @Lake Macquarie, Sunday 5pm

A massive game will take place at Lake Macquarie on Sunday night as the Newcastle Jets take on Sydney University.

Much is on the line for these two and a win here for either will help immensely to create a gap in the relegation battle.

The Jets were defeated quite comfortably last weekend, going down 4-1 to UNSW, again defensively not doing a job.

Having lost a number of key stars already in this transfer window, it will be a tough run in for the Jets.

Uni were also well beaten over the weekend even though scores were locked against the Gladesville Ravens for 65 minutes of that game.

They will need to strengthen in order to make the second half of he season more comfortable.

Macarthur Rams v NWS Spirit @Lynwood Park, Sunday 5pm

The Macarthur Rams are back at home on Sunday and host NWS Spirit at Lynwood Park.

Only one win in their last six games but the Rams are much better than what the results say with them at 12th place.

They will be much stronger moving forward, Maya Lobo and Amelia Cassar are already at Lynwood Park with a number of names due to join in the coming weeks.

After three straight wins, it was somewhat a surprise when Spirit went down at home to the Northern Tigers.

Spirit have also strengthened, Rubi Sullivan back home and Ella Abdul Massih also returning to Christie Park.

Both teams will have tough Sapphire Cup games throughout the week which they will need to recover for in time for this match.

Sydney Olympic v Mt Druitt Town Rangers @Peter Moore Field, Sunday 5pm

At Peter Moore Field on Sunday evening, bottom placed Sydney Olympic take on the league leaders Mt Druitt Town Rangers.

The agony continued for Olympic last week as they went down to APIA Leichhardt, making It five straight losses and keeping them winless this season.

There has been a change in the dugout with George Beltsos coming in, along with a number of new arrivals, Aideen Keane, Sarah Yatim and Jaya Bowman with a number of others still to arrive.

Mt Druitt bounced back after their first defeat of the season with a commanding 5-1 win over WSW.

The last time Mt Druitt were clear favourites for a game they lost, Ben Gough will need to ensure his team is focused and discipline.

Manly United v UNSW @Cromer Park, Sunday 5pm

Also on Sunday night, Manly United face off against UNSW at Cromer Park.

A massive game at Cromer Park for Manly United as they could see themselves drop out of the top four with defeat here.

They have been excellent so far but two defeats in their last three may raise alarm bells, and knowing that United trust in their system, they won’t strengthen during the window.

A defeat here for UNSW will push them considerably away from a finals spot and make it difficult to achieve their goals.

They snapped a three-game winless run on Sunday with a strong performance against the Newcastle Jets.

Gladesville Ravens v Bulls FC Academy @Christie Park, Sunday 5:10pm

The final match of the round takes us to Christie Park as the Gladesville Ravens take on Bulls FC Academy.

It took the Ravens over an hour to break Sydney University down on the weekend but then put them to the sword.

Should the Ravens not take three points here, they will potentially be 10 points off the fourth placed team.

Some form for the Bulls FC Academy, scoring four straight wins and finding the back of the net at will, the Bulls have scored 14 goals in this period.

They way they have turned their fortunes, along with their additions to the squad, the Bulls are a serious threat to the teams above them on the ladder and the competition.

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-By Nikola Pozder